Tag Archives: Bruce Springsteen

Christmas Song Countdown #10

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown!!!

I wanted to share with you a creative way some people are being festive.

Country Living Magazine’s site features trees made of books!!!

I think they are adorable!!!

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Courtesy:  Country Living Magazine

The singer with the #10 song is my second favorite singer ever after Bruce Springsteen.  More importantly, he is probably the greatest soul singer who ever graced this Earth.  The power of his voice, the passion he sang with, the intensity of emotion he put into every single note is what we remember most about him.  And it sealed his legacy as the King of Soul.

His voice put Stax Records on the map.  His death at the age of 26 on this day 49 years ago was the end of the label, for all intents and purposes.  A month after his death the last song he recorded was released.  Soon after it became the #1 song in the country.  This year his foundation celebrated the 75th anniversary of his birth.

The night before his death, he & his band the Bar Kays (most of whom died with him in the plane crash that took his life), performed “Respect” on a show called Upbeat.  Over the closing credits, he sang “Knock On Wood” with Mitch Ryder.  It is 88 seconds of joy.  Thanks to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you may watch that here.

During his short career, he recorded two Christmas songs.  Ironically enough for me, Bruce Springsteen covered the first one (Merry Christmas Baby).  The second one is today’s pick and by far my favorite of the two.

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Courtesy:  Eric Meola

Otis Redding:  White Christmas.

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

book-trees

Courtesy:  Country Living Magazine

Christmas Song Countdown Day 7

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the Christmas Song Countdown!!!

Look at this darling tree!!!  Those are berry baskets holding ornaments on the branches.  How creative & adorable!!!  (And those baskets are in the Target Dollar Spot, if you are wondering).

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The old adage is the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Music is a perfect example.  While popular music today seems to revolve around urban, pop and rap, there are still people who take ballroom dancing lessons.  For all the people buying tickets to concerts to see rock heroes like Bruce Springsteen (read:  me & the gazillion other people who saw him on tour this year)  or Neil Young, a singer/songwriter like Ed Sheeran is winning Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  And for those country fans who are thrilled that Garth Brooks finally made his comeback record, there are just as many fans of swing, jazz and big band music (hence the popularity of Michael Buble, for example).

My point is there is room for everyone, and as soon as you think you have seen the last of a certain style of music or singing, up pops someone to take us back to that sound.  Of course, there are those singers who transcend the ages with the timelessness of their voices.  Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett and Billie Holiday, just to name a few. The singer with the #7 song is, without a doubt, a part of that group.

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Courtesy of Sarah Catherine Design

Known as “The First Lady of Song” because she could sing them all-ballads, upbeats, blues, jazz, swing and sentimental.  She had a pitch perfect sound and a powerful range and delivery.  And she could scat.

Starting next April,  which would have marked her 100th birthday, venues around the world will celebrate her music with “Ella at 100:  A Centennial Celebration“.  Her physical presence was lost 20 years ago, but her voice is eternal.    And her take on Christmas music is just one example of that.

Ella Fitzgerald:  Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

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Courtesy of Architecture Art Designs 

 

Weekend Wanderings

Posted in Weekend Wanderings by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Happy Monday!!!  Did you enjoy your weekend?

Do you know how empty the stores are the weekend before Black Friday, not including the grocery stores?  I spent the weekend running errands and picking up supplies for my apartment and I was amazed at how quickly I was in and out of the stores.  I guess everyone is waiting for the Black Friday sales.

When I was at one of the home improvement stores on Saturday, I was overwhelmed by the variety of Christmas items they had not just for the outside of the home as expected, but for inside as well.  For example, how adorable is this nativity scene???

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Or these Nemo-themed ornaments?

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I buy myself one new ornament a year and yes, it is usually a Peanuts themed one.  Below is this year’s winner:

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This was adorable, too, but I do not need it & my wallet does not need the almost $100 price tag.  But it is cute nonetheless:

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I also loved these resin statues:

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And Elvis was in the house, too!!! (Well, in the home improvement store actually……)

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I am not a fur/leopard print person, but I did find it surprising on hats!!!

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And I am not a “Star Wars” person, but how adorable are these Yoda lights?!?!

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Or this giant Yoda and his friends???  Buddy the Elf is my favorite!!!

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Then when I was at the grocery store, I saw this adorable display:

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I spotted these too cute for words giant Woodstock & Charlie Brown greeters at CVS:

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Are you guys into the Black Friday sales?  I must admit after shopping flea markets, antiques stores, the outlets and online shopping, I have really lost my taste for the malls.  I will only do it in an emergency or if a friend asks me to help her choose a dress for a special occasion.  During my last few years in NY I wanted to go to the outlets at midnight on Black Friday, but somehow talked myself out of it when they released an estimate of expecting over five thousand shoppers.  Crazy, right?  And the only way I could get to the 5 am or 6 am sales was if I stayed up all night, and that was rather impossible after a meal of tryptophan packed turkey.  And later in the day I cringed when I drove by the stores and saw how packed they were.  Ugh.

I am, however, all about the day after Christmas sales.  Like most frugal minded people, I pick up next year’s cards, tree lights and other items needed for the following holiday season.  I do try to keep it simple and green because there is so much waste this time of year it makes me feel guilty about my carbon footprint.  And since my feet are a size 11, I have more than most to make up for   🙂

Also, if you are looking for a great read this holiday season or a fabulous gift for the music lover on your list, then you MUST pick up a copy of the greatest book ever written…………

At least this year……………………………………………………………………

Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography “Born To Run”.  (BONUS:  The audio book comes out December 6 and it is narrated by The Boss himself!!!  Yes, please!!!)

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Despite pre-ordering my copy online, it took much longer to receive than I anticipated. Thank goodness for my local library!!!  This is a GREAT read, and I do not just say that as his most dedicated fan (Kathy Bates has forever prohibited anyone from using the phrase “biggest fan” LOL!!!)  I say it because it is true.  Springsteen’s talent for writing is not just limited to his songs.  His words are brutally honest, reflective,  happy, sad, true and unbelievably powerful.  They are also healing as he discusses his bout with depression.  It has generally been considered a woman’s disease by society so, therefore, not given the proper attention it deserves.  But when someone like The Boss comes forward and admits he has suffered from it, people listen.  And that is what mental illness needs:  a voice.

As someone who has suffered with depression most of my life, Springsteen’s admission of the disease validated every symptom I have ever had, from not being able to get myself out of bed for days at a time or not being able to function in general day to day activities.  I love Bruce Springsteen for a multitude of things, but for this most of all.  His being so forthright with this information takes away the stigma that still sadly exists about this disease and mental illness in general.  Mere words will never be adequate enough to thank this man for what he has done for the world of music, let alone me.  But it is all I have to give so, thank you Bruce, for everything.

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

***(Nothing in this post is sponsored.  I am just sharing some of my favorite things with you.)

“….And I Believe In The Promised Land…”

Posted in Uncategorized by

“Blow away the dreams that tear you apart,

Blow away the dreams that break your heart,

Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted”

Happy birthday, Bruce Springsteen!!!  Thank you for EVERYTHING!!!

img_1327Bruce Springsteen performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on 09/14/2016 (yes, I was there!!!).

img_1326 Bruce Springsteen performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on 09/14/2016 (yes, I was there!!!).

img_1223 Bruce Springsteen performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on 09/14/2016 (yes, I was there!!!). 

 

 

 

Weekend Wanderings

Posted in Weekend Wanderings by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Have my fellow East Coasters thawed yet from the sub-zero temperatures we had this weekend??? Brrrrrrrrrr!!!  But I must admit I do find the frigid air a little exhilarating (in very small doses), plus it is great cuddling weather so it is not all bad, right?!?!

Despite how cold it was, I went out and about.  Unfortunately, not to any estate sales as there still are not any in my area, so I checked out a few thrift stores and Goodwill.  Nothing really spoke to me, but I did enjoy looking.  I miss that.

Then I did my usual exploring around the back roads of CT.  During my travels, I came across what looked like an old airplane in a make shift hangar, sitting at the end of a farm. I thought it was a pretty neat discovery.

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I also went down a country road that has become one of my favorite routes.  In the fall, I came across this beautiful tree, and thought I would take a picture of it in winter to document the whole different seasons, different views thing.

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Kind of cool, right?  Got to love nature and the seasons 🙂

Saturday night I was introduced to a great place to eat, the White Horse Pub & Restaurant.  What a fantastic place with delicious food!!!  I had the Pear and Blue Cheese Salad and a heaping bowl of French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese.  Sensational.  I took pictures but they barely came out do to the low lighting in the place (it was the night before Valentine’s Day, after all).  This is just my humble opinion and not a sponsored post.  I am just sharing a great find with you, since you may be new to the area like me so referrals are quite helpful!!!

Sunday was all about some chores, a few errands and a quick trip to the library.  A friend recommended a book to me:  “The Forgetting Time” by Sharon Guskin.  I picked that up and will begin reading that and my book club selection this week.  I love to snuggle under the covers and immerse myself in good reads when it is this cold.  And in great movies, too.  TCM showed “Adam’s Rib“*** and “Now, Voyager“*** yesterday-two of my all time favorites.  Tracy and Hepburn are my most beloved on screen pair EVER, and Bette Davis was so beautiful and glamorous in “Voyager” it is almost hard to believe she was the same actress who played Jane in another one of my most adored flicks, “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?“***

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Davis in a still from “Now, Voyager” (1942)
  Baby Jane
Davis in a still from “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?” (1962)

I also discovered two things that made me extremely happy, and I want to share them with you.  The first is I just heard (I know, where have I been???  LOL) that “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is coming out next month with the original cast.  I watched the trailer and it looks as funny, if not more, than the original.  Yay!!!

The second is that Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography is being released in September.  I do not know how the fact that he was writing a book got by me, but now that I know I have no idea how I will make it until the fall to read it!!!  Do you think he will finally reveal that his greatest sadness in life was not marrying me???  One can hope and be delusional, can’t one 🙂 ???

Bruce autobiography

Source:  BruceSpringsteen.net

Oh, and speaking of the Boss, I was supposed to see him in concert this week in Hartford, but I swapped tickets with one of my friends who lives in MD and had tickets for his show there in April.  She completely forgot she will be away on a cruise the night of the concert, so being the good friend I am I thought I would add MD to one of the states I travel to for my Boss obsession.  However, I must admit when she told me he sang “Because The Night”, “Cover Me”, “Loose Ends”, “Bobby Jean” AND “Rosalita”, all of which are in my top 10 favorite songs by him, my heart went into an arrhythmia it has yet to recover from.

I mean, I was glad to help her out and I will still get to see Bruce on “The River” tour, but if he does not perform those five songs the night I go I am afraid I might end up throwing myself on the stage kicking and screaming.  Maybe then he will rethink the set list???  LOL  But he will be singing “Fade Away” since that is from the album, and that may make up for everything since I ADORE that song, too!!!  I always thought it would make a great duet, especially if he sang it with me!!!  SAAAAAA-WOOOOON!!!  Here is Bruce meeting with some Veterans before his show in DC last month.  I love that he is such a staunch supporter of the men & women who served (and continue to serve) our country!!!

Bruce and the veterans

Source:  BruceSpringsteen.net/Pete Souza/The River Tour in DC-Jan 2016

Please note that the starred links*** are my affiliate links. I only share what I love and am grateful for the support 🙂

So, how did you spend your weekend?  And if you are lucky enough to be off tomorrow (unlike me 😦 ), enjoy it!!!  Happy President’s Day!!!

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

 

So Long, January!!!

Posted in Month End Reviews, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  How crazy is it that we arrived at the end of January so quickly?  What did you take away from the first month of the year?

I took in my new place surroundings and pondered my decorating scheme, which I have yet to act on LOL!!!  But I did get some great inspiration (thank you Kathleen at Faded Charm), explored some more local sights, got back into my groove of “estate saling” (although I have not had a chance to really dig for a treasure yet but I am hopeful it will happen soon!!!), figured out some shortcuts to a few of my regular places (work, grocery store, antiques stores) and decided I have to get out more despite all that I have to do at home.  So I got my library card, joined a church and a book club.  For our meeting next month, we are reading “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng.  Have any of you read this yet?

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January also brought the first snowstorm of my CT residency.  To mark the occasion with more than just snow boots, I made home made chicken soup, which turned out pretty well for my first attempt at it.  I do not use salt at all due to its negative health benefits, so once I got the seasonings to a correct balance (pepper, oregano & basil), it was not bad if I do say so myself.  It was so hearty I did not even add noodles!!!

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But most of all for me, January was an unbelievably sad month for the music industry.  Losing an icon like David Bowie was an incredible blow, and we will not see a visionary artist like him again in our lifetime.  For a career to span as many decades as his and encompass as many musical genres as his did only underscores that point.  He left us with a parting gift, “Black Star“*** which is as classic and bold as we remember Bowie to be.

But in the end he was also a beloved man who was taken from his wife and family way too soon, and that is the worst part of the story.  Hopefully 2016 will be the year we finally see cancer obliterated from our world.

Bowie

Source:  YouTube (original source unknown)

Bowie’s loss was followed by those of Glenn Frey of the Eagles; R&B singers Otis Clay and Nicholas Caldwell, who was a member of the group, “The Whispers“; Rene Angelil, who brought us the voice of Celine Dion; Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane/Starship fame and one of his co-founders of Airplane, Signe Toly Anderson, who died on the same day.  What she and Kantner did in their band changed the landscape of music forever.  In the mid 1960’s, rock and roll bands were a boy’s only game:  The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Moody Blues, the list goes on and on.  But when Airplane was being formed, another co-founder Marty Balin along with Kantner, knew how important a female voice & presence was.  Anderson provided that until she left the band in 1966 to have a baby.  But the precedent was set and it was a vital turning point in rock and roll and music overall.  Think about who soon followed:  Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Carole King, Deborah Harry, et al.  Thank God for Balin’s & Kantner’s vision.

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Paul Kantner & Signe Toly Anderson, second and third from the left.  Source:  Tumbler (original source unknown).

And today marks what would have been the 70th birthday of Terry Kath, a founding member, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist for the band Chicago.  Kath was the unbelievably gorgeous voice behind classics such as “Colour My World” and “Make Me Smile“.  He was compared to Jimi Hendrix for his musical ability and to Ray Charles for his vocal style.  He died from an accidental gunshot infliction a week before his 32nd birthday in 1978.  He will be inducted posthumously into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of Chicago at the induction ceremony in April.

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Source:  premierguitar.com

But things are starting to turn around.  Reports are circulating that Paul Rodgers, who’s latest solo release*** includes fabulous covers of classic songs like “Walk On By” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”, and Bad Company are working on a new record together, which I PRAY is true!!!  What a band!!!  Swoon!!!  But best of all Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” tour is in full swing to promote “The Ties That Bind:  The River Collection“***.  All is right in my world when the Boss is on the road and headed my way (next month in Hartford!!!)  Double swoon!!!

I do not own the rights to any of the music I am sharing with you, but the starred links*** are my affiliate links. I only share what I love and am grateful for the support 🙂

So, how was your first month of the year?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

Christmas Songs Of The Day #4

Posted in Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  How are all of you doing?  Can you believe we are less than two weeks away from the big day?  It certainly is going by fast.  So before we blink and have it pass us all by, let’s take a moment to celebrate some more amazing sounds of the season.

It is no secret that I am a H-U-G-E fan of Bruce Springsteen.  He just announced several tour dates for next year which will come to my area just in time for my birthday.  So, it is fair to say Christmas came early for me!!!  But this season is never complete for me until I hear his versions of two Christmas classics.

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        Source:  Backstreets.com

The first is a throw back to the innocence of childhood and its cautionary message “to be good for goodness sake”.  The original version comes from one of the three  Christmas specials I MUST watch every single year:  “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (see that here), “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and this one.  It features a beautiful wedding scene under “the first Christmas Trees” and is probably what made me fall in love with the beauty of this season before I knew how truly special it also was.  And as soon as you hear the music, you cannot help but sing along to “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”.

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Source:  Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 1970

Springsteen’s version is just as infectious and features some funky saxophone playing by another Big Man, Clarence Clemmons (miss you, Clarence!!!)

The Boss’ other holiday gem is just as special.  “Merry Christmas, Baby”  is a rocking, bluesy, jazzy and romantic way to celebrate the season with that special someone.  It is also perfect for singing along to while you are alone in your car, or while decorating the tree with some of your closest friends or sharing a holiday meal with family.  For me, it’s all those things and another reminder of why I love Bruce!!!

Enjoy!!!

 

Etsy Treasures

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It is still fairly warm here in Connecticut so fall still feels far off, despite October starting later this week.  However, the supermarkets and nurseries are looking more like the season every day.  Here is a display I found the other day when I went grocery shopping:

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As I gathered my fall items to start decorating, I realized I did not have a lot of Halloween items.  I was just about to go out and hit some thrift stores when an Etsy order I placed several weeks ago arrived with this little beauty:

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Isn’t she just lovely?!  I love the neutral palette, the little cat and the fact that she looks like a good witch 🙂

The shop owner was also kind enough to send me a free gift with my purchase that will fit in with my natural & rustic way of decorating:

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I love it and cannot wait to frame it and add it to my decor.  But the piece I love the most is a custom order I placed for my mantra.  As I told you in my previous post, Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” is one of my all time favorite songs and contains a line I live my life by.  So, I finally made it a part of my home with this custom plaque:

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I cannot tell you how happy I am to see these words in front of me every day.  I am not sure where it will end up permanently, but for now it is in my bedroom so it is the first thing I see in the morning & the last thing I see at night.

I love how both pieces I ordered came out.  I want to give a very big thank you to the Etsy store that created these treasures for me, deSignsofExpressions.  This is a great shop to deal with.  The owner is kind, talented and very professional.  She is also a very good communicator and offered me a discount at the beginning for buying multiple items.  If you are in need of a rustic custom piece or gift, definitely check out this shop.  I have not been sponsored for this post and all opinions, including the Springsteen worship, are my own.

I will be back soon with some pictures of my home decorated for fall and Halloween.  In the meantime, I am really enjoying the tours of so many of the bloggers out there.  It is inspiring to see so much creativity!!!

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

Fall Memories of & Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen!!!

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Like so many of you, fellow Vixens, fall is my favorite time of year.  It has been that way my whole life.  The cooler temperatures, the leaves changing colors, the crunch of the fallen ones underfoot or jumping in a freshly raked pile of them, pumpkins, Halloween, fall festivals, apple picking and the smell of wood burning in fireplaces…..need I go on?

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It started when I was a kid planning my costume and dreaming about how much yummy candy I would get on All Hallow’s Eve.  I would also wonder how big that year’s pumpkin would be and how sweet it would smell with a candle in it to light up the carved face.  Then when I was older I used to walk home from school in the fall after field hockey practice.  At the beginning of the season, it was still hot thanks to Indian Summer so the mile I had to walk home in the heat was excruciating.  But once October arrived, it not only got cooler but it would start to get dark by the time I was halfway home.  Then the walk was glorious.

I smelled the fireplaces that were needed to get the chill out of houses.  I listened to the leaves crunching under my feet.  I admired the many different carved pumpkins on display on front porches or in big picture windows.  I adored the way the cool crisp air touched my cheeks like sweet tender caresses.  I studied the changing hues of the sky as the sun set and the moon emerged. And I marveled at the beauty and wonder of this spectacular time of year.  

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As I walked towards the door of my house, I could see the warmth of the lights welcoming home.  As sad as I was that my evening reverie was over, I was happy to be home.  Things were far from perfect, but I could count on several things:  that a hearty plate of dinner was waiting for me in the oven, courtesy of my dear sweet  grandmother; that I would get to kiss, hug, cuddle and play with my little brother; that after I ate and did my chores, I could listen to my Bruce Springsteen records and that my dad would watch TV with us every night.

A lot of life has happened to me in the fall, some good, some bad and some heartbreaking.  But through all of it, autumn is simply astonishing in its loveliness year after year.

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The first day of fall is also special to me because it is Bruce Springsteen’s birthday.  The first time I bought one of his records  (Born To Run) was in the fall following the worst summer of my life-the one in which my mother died leaving her 12 year old daughter and the rest of her family behind.  The world had become so dark I forgot what light was like.  But one listen to Springsteen’s album and suddenly all that changed.

In that moment, fall had a new color.  It was so exquisite and bright I never quite saw things the same way again.  That color gave me back a glimpse of hope that maybe I could look forward to a future, one where happily ever after did not end in a horribly final way…..where I did not end up like my father and lose the love of my life at the age of 36.  

I love Bruce Springsteen for many things, but giving me back my hope is the biggest reason why.  It is a debt I will never be able to repay.  The mantra of my life, even after all these years, is from “Thunder Road”:  ” What else can we do now except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair.”.  Those words carry me through my life.

Thank you, Boss Man.  Happy Birthday & Happy Fall.

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging and Happy Fall!!! 

Just The Working Life…..

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“Early in the morning factory whistle blows
Man rises from bed and puts on his clothes
Man takes his lunch, walks out in the morning light
It’s the working, the working, just the working life”, Bruce Springsteen-Factory (1978).

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Happy Labor Day to all those who work-or worked-to make America what it is.

And farewell-unofficially-to the end of the summer of 2015.

Rhode Island, July 2011. Copyright 2011 by Michele Antonio

Copyright 2011.  Photo by me. (North Kingston, RI)

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!